Tata Sons Chief N Chandrasekaran Appointed As Chairman Of Air India

Air India Chairman: The development comes days after former Turkish Airlines head Mehmet Ilker Ayci declined Tata Group's offer to be the chief executive officer and managing director of Air India.

N Chandrasekaran (PTI)

New Delhi: Natarajan Chandrasekaran, the chairman of Tata Sons, has been officially appointed as the chairman of Air India, a Tata Sons spokesperson confirmed to ABP News. The appointment was cleared at a board meeting held today by Air India.

The development comes days after former Turkish Airlines head Mehmet Ilker Ayci declined the Tata Group's offer to be the chief executive officer and managing director of Air India as "some sections of the Indian media" have attempted to "colour" his appointment in an undesirable manner, PTI reported.

Tata Sons had on February 14 announced the appointment of Ayci as the CEO and MD of Air India.

READ | Turkey's Ilker Ayci Declines Air India CEO Role, Says Tata Group Spokesperson

In a virtual address to employees of Air India last month, Chandrasekaran had said Tata Group would make Air India financially fit, upgrade aircraft, bring in new fleet and make it the most technologically advanced airline globally.

The Tata Group bought the debt ridden state-owned Air India from the Central government in October last year. Tatas won the bid for Air India through a competitive bidding for Rs 18,000 crore, including the cash component of Rs 2,700 crore. It took full control of the airline on January 27.

Tata Group founder JRD Tata had originally launched the airline in 1932 as the nation's first carrier. It was nationalised in 1953.

Who Is N Chandrasekaran?

Natarajan Chandrasekaran joined the Board of Tata Sons in October 2016 and was appointed Chairman in January 2017. Chandrasekaran also chairs the boards of several group operating companies, including Tata Steel, Tata Motors, Tata Power, and Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) – of which he was Chief Executive Officer from 2009-17, according to the TCS website.

His appointment as chairman followed a 30-year business career at TCS, which he joined from university. He rose through the ranks at TCS to become CEO and Managing Director of the firm.

Chandrasekaran became the first non-Parsi and professional executive to head the Tata Group.

Under his leadership, TCS generated total revenues of US $16.5 billion in 2015-16 and consolidated its position as the largest private sector employer in India and the country’s most valuable company. 

Chandrasekaran also served as director on the board of the Reserve Bank of India in 2016. He has also served as the chairperson of the Information and Communication Technology Industry Governors at the World Economic Forum, Davos, in 2015-16.